Stats: Malta Attracts Record Number of Tourists From U.S., Canada in 2018

Statistics released by Malta’s National Statistics Office for inbound tourism for 2018 show that Malta’s popularity in the North American market is still trending.

The Hon. Konrad Mizzi, minister of tourism for Malta, noted that the U.S. was one of the fastest-growing tourism markets for Malta, recording an increase of 31.9 percent from 2017 to 2018, with a total of 47,170 Americans visitors. The increase from Canada in 2018 was 6.6 percent (15,015 Canadians) bringing the total arrivals in 2018 from North America to a record-breaking 62,185. This archipelago in the Mediterranean recorded 2.6 million visitors overall (up 14.3 percent between 2017 and 2018), another record.

Malta is turning into one of the Mediterranean’s top all-season destinations due to its success in developing a multitude of off-peak events, and year-round warm climate. According to Michelle Buttigieg, Malta Tourism Authority representative for North America, “Although the dramatic increase in 2018 is due in large part to the yearlong celebrations of Malta’s Capital, Valletta, as the 2018 European capital of Culture, Malta also has a rich and diverse annual calendar of festivals and events that continue to attract visitors for the off-season.”

Buttigieg added, “An important part of Malta’s appeal to the North American traveler is that English is an official language, and that Malta is a safe, peaceful, and stable EU democracy.”

The MTA has strong representation in North America, both with travel industry organizations such as the United States Tour Operators Association, and Virtuoso, a network of luxury travel agents.